


All The Promises You Hold (My Best Friend’s Boyfriend Remix)

by giselleslash



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1920s, Alternate Universe - Historical, Backstory, Class Differences, Established Relationship, M/M, Remix
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-31
Updated: 2013-03-31
Packaged: 2017-12-03 12:17:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/698152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/giselleslash/pseuds/giselleslash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin isn’t pleased when Arthur announces his wedding plans, but Arthur has plans of his own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All The Promises You Hold (My Best Friend’s Boyfriend Remix)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Magnolia822](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magnolia822/gifts).
  * Inspired by [My Best Friend's Boyfriend](https://archiveofourown.org/works/633626) by [Magnolia822](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magnolia822/pseuds/Magnolia822). 



> I loved the sidestory in Magnolia’s fic about Merlin the servant and Arthur the in-the-closet rich bloke and decided to focus on that. I also wanted to put a bit of a twist on it by moving it to the early 1920s in a sort of _Upstairs Downstairs_ / _Downton Abbey_ setting with Merlin as Gwaine’s family’s chauffeur and Arthur as Gwaine’s friend and member of the nobility. 
> 
> All the thanks in the world to N for the awesome beta and Brit-pick, and to X as well for the read-through and additional beta. (proper thanks will follow once the reveals come out :))

“His lordship is requesting the motorcar be brought around.”

Merlin looked up from his book at Mordred, who stood with arms crossed and an irritatingly knowing look on his face. Merlin sighed and put his book aside as he got up to get his jacket and cap.

“Did Lord Mountbatten say where he was wanting to go?”

“Not Lord Mountbatten, Lord _Pendragon_ is requesting you.”

The way Mordred said Arthur’s name made Merlin’s skin crawl. He always had his nose stuck where it didn’t belong and was only too willing to tell everyone around him what he heard and saw. Mordred was going to get Merlin in a world of trouble sooner rather than later and Merlin was biding his time until it happened. 

Once Merlin had his jacket properly done up and his cap on he strode past Mordred, not so subtly pushing him aside with his shoulder. 

“Lord Pendragon does a lot of motoring when he’s here on a visit, doesn’t he? Must be taxing on you, always being interrupted from your reading.”

Merlin ignored Mordred as he followed close behind him. He was like a burr Merlin couldn’t shake, clinging and irritating. 

“And such frequent visits too. Lord Mountbatten is fortunate to have such a solicitous friend, so often here to entertain him.”

Merlin stopped and turned back toward Mordred to say something he hoped would quiet him when a voice beat him to it.

“That will be enough, Mordred. I’m sure your services are better needed elsewhere.”

Mordred schooled his features and nodded. “Of course, Gaius.”

Merlin thought he heard Gaius mutter, _’insufferable little snit,’_ under his breath as they watched Mordred walk away. 

“Thank you, Gaius. I’d like to say I was about to say something I’d regret, but I doubt very much that I’d have regretted it in the slightest.”

Merlin thought he saw a brief upturn at the corner of Gaius’ mouth, which was as close to a smile as Gaius ever got, before his face returned to its normal stony facade.

“Yes, well, be that as it may I’m sure Lord Pendragon is waiting for you to pull the motorcar around and would be most unimpressed with having to wait on you while you engage in a petty fight with his lordship’s valet.”

“Actually, I think Lord Pendragon would find it quite amusing.”

Merlin earned a stern look from Gaius at his statement. “Be careful there, Merlin.”

Gaius’ words promptly ended Merlin’s teasing. He knew he and Arthur hadn’t always been as careful as they should have been but it was jolting to realize Gaius knew and was telling him so in his very Gaius-like manner. 

“I -. Yes, of course I will, Gaius. You’re right.” Merlin nodded.

Gaius returned Merlin’s nod and said nothing more on the matter. 

“Stop by the kitchens on your way, Alice has packed a basket for Lord Pendragon. You know how she dotes on him.”

 _’As do we all,’_ Merlin muttered under his breath as he headed toward the kitchens.

~*~

“Where to, my lord?” Merlin asked as he held the door open for Arthur.

“Just drive, Merlin.” 

Merlin nodded. “Yes, my lord.”

Merlin shut the door behind Arthur and moved to the front to get behind the wheel. As he turned the car down the drive his eyes kept glancing toward the side mirror to see if he could get a glimpse of Arthur. He was brooding, Merlin knew it, and he wanted to gauge Arthur’s mood before opening his mouth.

They drove in silence for several minutes before Arthur finally spoke.

“I am to marry Lady Sophia.”

A flash of furious heat rushed along Merlin’s spine and radiated throughout the rest of his body making his skin prickle and flush red. He abruptly pulled on the steering wheel and turned the car into the field alongside the road. 

“No,” Merlin said as he brought the car to a sudden stop. “No.”

“Merlin -.”

“I said, no.” Merlin repeated as he twisted around and climbed over the seat to get to Arthur. Arthur grabbed at his hips as he got his leg over Arthur’s lap and straddled him. “No.”

“It’s all but settled.”

“You’ll not marry her,” Merlin said as he held Arthur’s face in his hands. “You’ve no heart to give her, it belongs to me.”

Arthur grabbed Merlin’s biceps and pulled him into a kiss. Merlin opened up to him, nearly breathless from wanting him. It had been weeks since he’d last tasted Arthur and the days and hours in between were long and lonely. Hearing that he could quite possibly be separated from Arthur forever drove Merlin to a desperation he never wanted to feel. For years he’d loved Arthur, the two of them always hiding, everything between them secret and bringing endless worry. 

“You forget who’s the lord,” Arthur said against Merlin’s lips once he broke from kissing him long enough to speak.

Merlin looked down at Arthur. “Here between us, in our world, I’m your lord and master.”

A small huff of laughter greeted Merlin’s ears and Arthur finally smiled. “As you’ve always been.”

“You won’t marry her. I won’t allow it.” Merlin’s fingers traced Arthur’s bottom lip, reddened from the kissing. 

Arthur reached up and took Merlin’s cap off his head so he could run his fingers through Merlin’s hair. Merlin closed his eyes and leaned into Arthur’s hand. Arthur had always loved touching him, when they were together it was as if he couldn’t stop. He’d long ago admitted to Merlin that he’d rarely been touched in affection by anyone other than his sister. Arthur never said it but Merlin knew that the freedom with which he could touch Merlin when they were together, and that Merlin could touch him, was one of his greatest joys. For all of Merlin’s poor upbringing he’d never lacked for hugs and kisses from his mother and it made his heart ache to think that simply being held and told he was loved was such a novelty to Arthur. 

The facade Arthur presented to the world at large was just that: a facade. The Arthur that belonged to Merlin was pompous and snobbish, yes, but so full of a wonderfully boundless, graceless sort of love that Merlin knew no one else could ever have him. Merlin wouldn’t allow it. He knew he was selfish, greedy, but he wanted all of that beautiful, carefully given love. 

“I know I disappoint you,” Arthur said, his hand resting at Merlin’s neck, warm and solid, “I know you’re frustrated that I don’t break away from my father and that I haven’t the faith in myself to leave this world behind, but I think now is the time. It has to be because I will not marry Sophia, of course I won’t.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’ve been saving, hiding away large portions of my quarterly allowance.”

“Arthur -?”

“I have enough now, for both of us. What do you think of Paris?”

“Paris?” Merlin laughed. “What has Paris to do with any of this?”

“I’ve found rooms there, above a patisserie of all things. Remember how I told you the last time I visited that I was off to Paris?”

“You were going there for this?”

“For us.” By then Arthur had grasped both of Merlin’s hands in his own and was smiling, nearly manic with excitement. “Imagine it, love, the two of us together, always. I’ll find work, I don’t care what, and you can spend all your time writing. You’ll be a mad revolutionary and I’ll come home and you’ll smell like cakes and your skin will taste like sugar.”

“But I don’t speak French,” Merlin said inanely and Arthur laughed at him.

“I’ll teach you while we lie naked in bed and drink champagne -.”

“And eat cakes.”

Merlin was laughing by then too and Arthur kissed his mouth, which only made him laugh more as pure and simple joy coursed through him. Merlin wondered at the fact that he wasn’t giving off sparks, he felt crazy with it, electric and bright.

“I’ll feed you cakes until you’re properly fat.”

“I’ll grow a monstrous beard and never change out of my robe and slippers and only you will love me.”

Arthur took Merlin’s face in his hands and pressed it to his own so their foreheads touched and Arthur’s breath ghosted across Merlin’s lips.

“I’ll love you forever, Merlin.”

“Yes,” Merlin said as he pulled Arthur into a hug, held him against his chest. “Yes, I know you will.”

Merlin’s heart was near to beating out of his chest and he hoped Arthur could feel it where it pressed against his own chest. Merlin wanted him to always know what he did to him, to always know that his words of love sent Merlin’s heart on a crazy race. Arthur, so careful with his words and actions, gave all the ones that mattered to Merlin like pieces of treasure. _Merlin_ , the village boy with barely two coins to rub together and no grand family name or titles before it. They risked so much to love one another and Merlin never wanted a single word of that love to be wasted, squandered, treated like it didn’t matter. 

“How will we do this? How will it work?” Merlin asked.

“We’ll just go. It’ll work, trust me.”

“Of course I trust you, but the two of us together. How - ?”

“There are places, Merlin, you won’t even believe it. It’s not like here. Yes, we’ll have to live quietly but there’s so much more there. You’ll fall in love with Paris.”

“I would love a hole in the ground if you were there beside me.”

Arthur laughed and the sound of it rumbled through Merlin, happy and more carefree than he’d ever heard it sound.

“If I’d known it was that easy to please you I’d have spirited you off long ago to some happy little rabbit hole.”

“No way, no,” Merlin said, laughter clear in his voice. “Now I want Paris. You’ve promised me patisseries and days and days of growing fat and happy with you and a glass of champagne, nothing less will do.”

Arthur tugged lightly on Merlin’s neck and pulled him down into another kiss, that faded into yet another, and another still. 

“I wish I could give you so much more.”

“I don’t,” Merlin said. “I’ve got you, and Paris, and that’s all I could ever want.”

They were quiet for a moment, they simply touched each other and kissed a cheek, the curve of a jaw. Merlin loved nothing more than the quiet with Arthur, solid and present beneath the palm of his hand. 

“Are you sure though?” Merlin whispered after a time. “Do you truly realize what we would be doing, all that you’re giving up?”

“What am I giving up?” Arthur asked, genuine confusion in his voice.

“Your family, your title, land, inheritance - all of it - for a vagabond life of uncertainties in Paris.”

Arthur smiled that slow, shy smile that made Merlin’s stomach drop, the one that was secret and his alone. He reached out his hand and cupped Merlin’s face. 

“The only thing in this world whose loss I’d suffer is you. But I have you. You’re mine, and we’ll be together. So, yes, Merlin, I’m sure.”

Merlin dropped his head down until it touched Arthur’s, eyes closed against the emotions he knew he wouldn’t be able to hide or rein in. 

“Ridiculous man,” he whispered, and Arthur laughed, quiet and deep. Merlin was fully aware Arthur saw right through him and knew what he really meant was, _’Yes, I’m sure too.’_

 

~End


End file.
